The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1887-04-07

war. During the canvass n
helligerant encounter took place
between them in the Court House
yard, amusing To the on lockers, but
quite otherwise To the struggling
Combatants. 1t was long called the
"hstllc of the cripples." They
were evenly matched. Ellis however
with his cane got the better OF
his one handed antagonist, but at
the election Cuwart got nearly all
the votes.
Judge Ellis married an excel
lent young lady Of the county, a
sister OF the wife of Major Edward
L. Bowen. then the popular pro,
prictor of the Eagle Hotel, and also
Clerk of the Circuit and Vice
Chanccry Court, and who welded a
commanding influence in the coun,
ellis Of the Democratic party Of the
county and district. But with all
the influences that could be
brought to bear in his behalf Ellis
found that he could not succeed
in Lawrence, so he pulled up stakes
and with his few worldly goods
removed TO Fayette in Jefferson
county. In that wealthy and intel
ligcnt county his genuine merlts
were ut once appreciated. His
practice became lucrative, and he
was elected Probate Judge for
several terms, filling the office with
decided credit. He enjoyed the
reputation with the members Of the
bar and people as one of The best
Judges the county ever had and
at the outbreak Of the war had
accumulated handsome cnmpe.
tencr.
But clouds were about to over
shadow his bright propects. A
the beginning Of his professional
life was beset by unloward Difficult
ties, so was it again at the hight
of his prosperity. lie was Il bold,
outspoken Union man from the
beginning to the end. He openly
insisted that disunion would
involve its advocates in ruin. He
argued, with incautious vehemence,
that secession meant revolution.
that revolution meant war, and
war meant the utter extirpation OF
slavery which, OF all things, he
desired most to save and perpetuate.
Finally, when his predictions began
to prove true, and war, with its
horrors, came, his sentiments were
so distasteful to the dominant ele-
ment of the State, that he was
compelled to abandon his home and
take up his abode within the
Federal lines.
On the cessation Of hostlities by
the surrender Of General Lee at
Appomattox, Judge Ellis returned
to Faye,te aud resumed the practice
of the law, and in spite of much
opposition on account of his
political opinions, he met with
considerable success.
On the incoming of Governor
Alcorn's Administration in the
spring of 1870 he was appointed
chancellor. of his District and h"
flied the office with the approval of
the Bar and people up TO the revo-
luton of 1875.
Ellis was good and an honest
man who always, even when mis-
taken-and mistaken he often was
spoke out boldly the promptlmgs Of
his own judgment. He was never
two sided, but always on one side or
the other of all public questions, and
thus held the respect of honorable
men, with whom he differed. lie
did not cater TO the whims and
prrjudices of the capricious multi
tudale, but his action was based on
his own opinion OF ri ght and wrong.
He never inquired which way the
wind was blowing, or likely to blow,
but he was stcadlast in his conyic
Lions, whether the sun shone or
thick darkness .impendtd.
G. ). MCMILLAN.